State Democrats Forget About Stalemate, Fear Paterson in Next Election

The New York Times today had an article on Democrats worrying about re-election in the fall next year. I thought, "Hey, another article about the do-nothing State Senate and how they're worried about going back to their districts, hat in hands, to beg their constituents to put up with them for another term." You can imagine my surprise when I found out that these Democrats aren't worried about their future-felon leaders or their embarrassing colleagues, but the governor.

True, Paterson is a pretty weak executive and has trouble making the simplest of decisions, but have we forgotten that THE STATE SENATE WAS SHUT DOWN FOR A MONTH BECAUSE OF PETTY, MIDDLE-SCHOOL CALIBER INTRA-PARTY PERSONAL GRUDGES? I mean, with all that has happened in the past few months the state democrats are worried about Paterson? Do they not realize that the two most recognizable New York Democrats right now are Hiram Monserrate - who faces trial in September for slashing his girlfriend's face with broken glass during an argument, part of which was caught on videotape - and Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, Jr. - someone who may not even live in his district, funnels public funds into his own shady non-profits, and is loathed throughout the state?

Take the story that came out today about Espada: his son will be making $120,000 a year in what NYMag describes as a cushy job upstate. Because holding up the state senate for a month over a personal beef with Malcolm Smith was not a big enough sign that he has no respect for the people of New York, we might as well pay his kid's six-figure salary. And this comes after both Espada and Monserrate received raises following the state senate fiasco that they created.

If I were a Democratic State Senator I would be more worried about my complacency during the senate stalemate than what our accidental governor does or how his poll numbers are. How many senators stood up when that nonsense was going on and mirrored the outrage or even showed more than a modicum of anger over what was going on? Now they'd rather blame party peril on Paterson, not their own inane behavior. It's always someone else's fault in Albany when the people get screwed, but the fact remains: the people get screwed. Peace.

Photos - New York Governor David Paterson (New York Times)